Translation in Practice

Instructor: Yuan Yao

Access provided by Coursera Learning Team

60,001 already enrolled

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

257 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

257 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

There are 6 modules in this course

This course offers you basic but valuable techniques used by a good translator in the translation between English and Chinese. We’ll discuss what is translation, what is good translation, and learn about how to produce good translations.

All the examples used in this course are taken from the course instructor's own translations of various genres and topics of writing. These examples are elaborated on to show you how to understand the idea, style and tone of the writer, the historical and cultural context of the writing, as well as the explicit and implied meanings of words, the grammatical structures of sentences, and the logic of sentences and paragraphs in order to achieve faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance in the translation. After completing this course, you will know what makes a qualified professional translator and acquire the abilities and skills that such a translator needs

This module discusses why translation matters, what is translation, and what is good translation. It also gives an overview of the content of the entire course.

What's included

3 videos3 discussion prompts

This module discusses the four-step process of translation. Each step is discussed in detail.

What's included

4 videos3 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 52 minutes

Four-Step Translation Process 12 minutes
Gathering Background Information 14 minutes
Deciding on the Word Meaning 13 minutes
Looking for Appropriate Expressions 14 minutes

3 peer reviews Total 160 minutes

The Process of Translation 60 minutes
Deciding on the Word Meaning 60 minutes
Expressing Word Meanings Appropriately 40 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

The significance of gathering background information in translation 10 minutes

This module discusses how to understand word meaning in the source language and how to express word meaning in the target language.

What's included

6 videos6 peer reviews

6 videos Total 82 minutes

Identifying Specialized Vocabulary 13 minutes
Analyzing Grammar and Logic 13 minutes
Making Conversions 13 minutes
Adding or Omitting Words, Phrases, Clauses 15 minutes
Considering Connotations and Tones 14 minutes
Being Flexible 15 minutes

6 peer reviews Total 310 minutes

Identifying Specialized Vocabulary 60 minutes
Analyzing Grammar and Logic 40 minutes
Making Conversions 60 minutes
Adding or Omitting Words, Phrases, Clauses 60 minutes
Considering Connotations and Tones 40 minutes
Flexibility in Expression 50 minutes

This module discusses the techniques often used in the translation of sentences: keeping/changing the original word order and dividing/combining sentences.

What's included

4 videos4 peer reviews

This module discusses the awareness of cultural elements in the source language and the translation of these cultural elements.

What's included

3 videos3 discussion prompts

This module discusses the translation of different genres of writing, including scientific writings, legal documents, public speeches, and literary works.

What's included

4 videos2 peer reviews2 discussion prompts

4 videos Total 61 minutes

Translating Scientific Writings 14 minutes
Translating Legal Documents 11 minutes
Translating Public Speeches 21 minutes
Translating Literary Works 15 minutes

2 peer reviews Total 120 minutes

Translation of Scientific Writings 60 minutes
Legal Document Translation 60 minutes

2 discussion prompts Total 120 minutes

Public Speech Translation 60 minutes
Literary Translation 60 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(95 ratings)

Yuan Yao

Nanjing University

1 Course 60,001 learners

Offered by

Nanjing University

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
68.87%
4 stars
19.06%
3 stars
5.05%
2 stars
1.55%
1 star
5.44%

Showing 3 of 257

Reviewed on May 25, 2020

It would be great if the assignments are graded by professors.

Reviewed on Oct 6, 2023

This course is so comprehensive and engaging. It helped me update and master the translation skills.

Reviewed on Oct 2, 2019

Although the course is aimed at Chinese translations, the professor manages to bridge that gap by introducing translation techniques that anyone can use.

View more reviews